Gone Without A Trace
by thedarkangel1990
Summary: Bones & Booth are working on a case together when things go horribly wrong & a strange disappearance leaves Booth & the entire team searching for answers. Very dark story, mentions of abuse, torture, rape. Not for the faint of heart.
1. Chapter 1

**Author Note: Hi everyone, so this isn't my first attempt at Fanfiction... however, it is my first story since 2007 so I may be a little rough around the edges. Please bare with me. This story is set somewhere in the earlier seasons of Bones. It is a very dark story, certainly not for the faint of heart. I hope you all enjoy it & please read & review!**

**Rating: M**

**Rated for abuse, sexual content, & rape. **

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The thunder rolled, rain poured down on Seeley Booth's roof. It was raining cats & dogs outside, all of the D.C. area had a severe weather alert. A powerful storm of this magnitude was very unusual for this time of year... generally a mid February storm would be considered a blizzard. Booth lay wide awake, he'd been tossing & turning all night. It wasn't the storm that was keeping him awake, though. Instead, it was the memory... the ghost rather, of his former partner Temperence Brennan. It had been 3 years, 2 months, 6 days since he got the call he thought he'd never get, the call he had always secretly feared more than death itself, since the day that life, as he knew it, changed forever. It was just a week & a half before Christmas. They were working together on a tough case, it had finally gone to trial & Bones was scheduled to testify the next day. Try as he may, Booth could not stop his mind from being consumed by memories of that fateful night...

_Dr. Brennan was working late or at least that's what she called it. It was something very common for Bones, when something was bothering her. She'd always thrown herself into her work. Somehow, staying busy seemed to help ease her nerves. The case she & Booth had been working on, was an especially disturbing one. Conrad Dennis, a serial rapist & murderer, was finally being brought to trial after a very lengthy investigation & prosecution process. The man had kidnapped, held hostage, abused, raped, & eventually murdered 9 young children between the ages of 6 years & 12 years old. He had then gotten rid of the bodies by placing them in barrels or acid & dumping them into rivers in rural locations. It had taken the team over a year to identify the bodies of the children & finally connect the dots enough to trace the evidence back to Conrad Dennis, who sold ice cream in the park where all 9 of the children had been abducted. Bones was going over everything, one last time. She had to do her very best, to make sure the sick bastard would be put away once & for all. She had to see him punished for what he had done to all those young, innocent girls. Bones was so pre-occupied, that she didn't even notice Booth walk into her office._

_"Hey Bones" Booth said, softly. Bones jumped about three feet. Booth silently cursed himself for not thinking. He knew this case was really getting to his partner, now he'd gone & startled her._

_"Whoa, sorry Bones!" Booth said, sincerely. "I didn't mean to startle you!"_

_A small, uncomfortable smile spread across her lips. "It's okay" She said. Trying to brush it off. "What brings you here at this hour?" She questioned._

_"Stopped over at your place to see if you wanted to have a drink" Booth replied. "I know this case has been tough on everyone"_

_Brennan nodded._

_"You weren't there, so... I figured you must still be here" Booth finished._

_"Yeah, I've been going over everything" Bones said. "I want to make SURE Conrad Dennis never gets near another child, ever again" Her voice cracked. She silently wished Booth hadn't noticed, but it had not gone un-noticed by her partner._

_Booth stepped closer. "Hey... you okay, Bones?" He asked, softly._

_"Yes, I'm fine" Bones answered, her tone a little more sharp than she had intended. Booth stood back a little._

_"Oook" He said, defeated. "You want a ride home? It's late &... this case has gotten to me too. I could use the company"_

_Bones didn't say anything for a moment. The truth was, she didn't really want to be alone either. This case had left her shaken. Although, this wasn't a foster child case... any crime that involved children struck a chord with Bones & also brought back strong, painful memories of her childhood & teenage years spent in foster care. She tried not to think about it, it was illogical to let the past bother you, she knew this. The past is the past, dwelling on it only puts the pains of the past, into the present & future tense. But yet, during these cases it was very hard for not to remember, not to think about the past. _

_"Sure" Bones finally replied, after a very long pause. "I just have to finish up, it will only take me a few minutes"_

_After finishing her review of the case, Bones & joined Booth for the ride home. The ride was quiet. So quiet, you could cut the silence with a knife. For Brennan, it was the horrible images of the case they'd spent so much time putting together, as well as her painful memories... that filled her mind. She stared blankly out the window. Booth too, was deep in thought. These type of cases always got to the entire team. Children always hit a soft spot. But, these cases always hit his partner especially hard. He wondered, so many times over the years... if there was to it than just the case. Booth wanted so bad, to ask Bones if there was something else, if there was another reason, a deeper reason, why these cases affected her so badly. But, he knew better. Whenever he tried to "help" Bones, it seemed like she'd always push him away. Although, the two were very close... she had so many walls built up, so many walls that even her partner & best friend could not possibly get past them all. Still, he wished that she would open up & talk to him. Booth longed to "be there" for his partner, but sometimes he just didn't know how to do that without her pushing him away. So, he did all he could do... he made sure he was there for her, just in case she ever did need a shoulder to cry on or a good friend to talk to. _

_Finally, they reached Bones apartment. She wasted no time in grabbing for the door. _

_"Pick you up at 7:00AM?" Booth asked._

_"Could you be here at 6:00AM?" Bones asked. "I want to have enough time to prepare before the testimony"_

_"I'll be here" Booth replied. _

_"Thanks for the ride" Bones said, as she got out of the passenger seat & proceeded to close the door behind her. _  
_Booth grabbed her hand. "Bones?"_

_She stopped in her tracks. "What, Booth?" _

_"You sure you're alright?" He asked._

_"I'm fine, Booth" Bones replied, firmly._

_'No you are NOT!' Booth wanted so bad to say, but instead, he just sighed. "Alright, I'll see you in the morning. Night' Bones!"_

_"Good night, Booth" Bones said, then paused for a moment before continuing. "Thanks Booth" as she closed the door behind her._

_Booth watched, as Bones run through the rain to her apartment. He watched until he seen that she had successfully unlocked the door & entered her apartment. Then, he slowly drove away... he had no idea, that would be the last time he would see his partner, his best friend, his Bones._

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**What did you think? Like it, love it, hate it? Good or bad, please review! Thanks so much!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow, no reviews... bad ones are better than none at all lol. Anyways, here is chapter 2. I hope you enjoy it! Please read & review!**

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Booth finally sat up straight, slowly climbing out of bed, he looked over at his alarm clock. 3:48AM. He exited the bedroom, walking to the bathroom, he went to the sink & splashed a bit of water onto his face. Maybe it would help him shake the memories... or maybe it would hide the hot tears he could feel streaming down his face. This wasn't an uncommon thing. In fact, this was how Booth had come to spend oh so many long, lonely, sleepless nights. Quickly, wiping the tears away... his mind drifted to that morning, the worse morning of his entire life...

_It was 5:45AM & Booth pulled up in front of Brennan's apartment. Always early, he waited patiently for Bones to come join him. He already knew it was going to be a long day, he just didn't know how true that would be. Booth waited, usually Bones would be right out, but still there was nothing. A strange, unsettling feeling began to build up inside of him. He was starting to worry, something just didn't seem right. With this case & how seriously Bones had been taking it, she should be ready & outside by now. Still, Booth waited. He waited until 6:00AM... still no Bones. Booth tapped his fingers on the door panel impatiently, trying to shake the unsettling feeling that was building more & more with every minute that passed. Finally, Booth could wait no longer, he had to go inside & make sure that everything was alright. He had to ease his mind. _

_Booth walked up to Brennan's door, when he hit the door to knock it pushed right open. Right away, a million Red flags went up in his mind! Quickly, Booth pulled his gun as he slowly entered._

_"Bones" He called. Nothing. _

_"Bones, is everything ok?" Still nothing. _

_"BONES!" He shouted, panic now clearly in his voice. _

_Booth rushed inside & to his horror, he found that Brennan's apartment had been completely ransacked! There was broken glass, things thrown everywhere... it was very obvious there had been a struggle. Booth ran through the apartment, checking every room. Until the last room to check was Brennan's bedroom. Booth swallowed hard, he was scared to death to go into that room, scared to death of what he would find. _

_"Bones!" He called, as he burst into the bedroom. _

_There was no Brennan to be found, but the room was in complete shambles. That's when he saw it, there on the bed... blood. Not just a little blood, but a very large amount of blood. _

_"No... Bones" Booth said, it was barely even a whisper._

_Quickly, Booth called for back up. Before long, Cam had the entire lab scowering Brennan's apartment for evidence. It was all so surreal to Booth. He couldn't believe they were actually talking about Bones, Bones apartment, & evidence in the same sentence. "Crime scene" that really seemed wrong, so very wrong. Booth felt completely helpless. He believed, with everything inside of him, that Bones disappearance had something to do with the case they had been working & her testimony that day. Although, Booth wanted nothing more than to find his Bones... he knew there was nothing he could do sitting in her apartment, helplessly watching the team collect evidence. He sat, staring blankly at the blouse that, just the night before Bones had been wearing. He wanted so bad, to just pick it up & hold it close to him. He needed that. He desperately needed to be close to her. But, he knew he couldn't do that. In fact, he couldn't touch anything because it was a crime scene & everything there, could possibly be a piece of evidence. _

_It took everything Booth had, but somehow he managed to leave Bones apartment & drive to the court house, for he too, had to provide testimony today. He didn't want to, all he wanted was to find his Bones. So, Booth didn't do it for him, he didn't do it for his job, he didn't even do it for the justice system... he did it for Bones, because he knew deep in his heart that she would want him to do this. She would want him to testify. She would want him to put that sick bastard away for good. And, he did it because he believed that someone, this case was connected to Bones sudden disappearance. _

_The trial dragged on, the testimony seemed to take forever. Eventually, Booth had done all he could. He rushed back to the lab. Only to learn that, the blood found in the apartment, was indeed Brennan's. But, they found NOTHING else. No hairs, no fingerprints, no footprints, nothing. It was so strange, who ever did this, they were good. _

_Time dragged on, it seemed as though it was almost standing still for the first little while. Minutes slowly turned to hours, hours to days, days to weeks, & weeks to months. The case remained open. The team at the lab went over every stitch of evidence with a fine tooth comb, but found nothing. Booth followed every single lead, but they all lead to a dead end. They never gave up, never stopped trying... but as months turned to years, there was still nothing. Dr. Temperance Brennan was gone without a trace. Booth tried & tried to find a link, of some kind, any kind... to the Conrad Dennis case. He could find nothing. Conrad Dennis had no close friends or family. He was a loner. Booth could find no one who would have been out for revenge regarding the case. He knew without a doubt that Dennis couldn't have done it himself, as he was locked up in maximum security. But still, he thought for sure that this was all somehow connected. _

_It took a huge toll on the crew at the Lab. Angela, had been so completely distraught that she even had to take 6 months off work. Everyone in the lab was touched by this & it left them all shaken to the very core. But, no one took it harder than Booth. He spent every minute of spare time he had, going over & over the evidence, the same dead end leads. He believed he must be overlooking something. Booth blamed himself. He always told Bones that he would be there for her, he would protect her, that he wouldn't ever let anything happen to her. He hadn't kept that promise. He had let her down. He should have stayed with her that night. When Booth wasn't working on the Brenner's case... he was thinking about her, thinking about them, thinking about everything. He couldn't get it out of his head, he couldn't get her out of his head. He couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, hell half the time he felt as though he couldn't even breath. Still, no matter how much the entire team tried they could find nothing. temperance Brennan was gone without a trace..._

Booth sat on the couch, his head in his hands, his tears were falling freely, now. He knew he couldn't fight them, as the memories in his head started to clear. Bones was his partner, his best friend... she was in a way, his world. They say you never know how much you are about someone until they are gone. Booth had learned that the hard way. Sure, Booth had always had feelings for Bones, feelings that only grew strongly the longer he knew her. But, after she was gone... after all this time, she was still all he could think about. Booth knew now, without a doubt, that he loved her. Not just as a partner or a friend, he had come to believe that Bones was his soul mate. But, she was gone. Although, Booth had never completely gave up hope... he knew all too well that the statistics don't lie. When a person has been missing for this long... they are dead 99% of the time. Even with all his experience, Booth couldn't get it through his head the Bones was really dead. He knew it was probably true, but until he found her body... he would never give up on her. Just as he knew, she would have never given up on him. His mind was flooded with memories, all the cases they had worked together, times they spend together, all the happy times & sad times. God, he missed her! Booth lay down on the couch & finally, he drifted off slowly & sleep did come.

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**Like it? Hate it? Please review! I know this chapter is short, but the next one will be longer, I promise!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author Note: Thanks so much for the reviews! They are greatly appreciated! Here is chapter 3. Enjoy!**

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**RING! RING! RING!**

Booth was jolted awake by the sound of his phone ringing. He jumped up & grabbed his cell off the coffee table next to the couch. He didn't know the number, but he picked up anyways.

"Agent Seeley Booth" He answered, as he looked at his clock & realized it was only 4:32AM.

"I'm sorry to bother you at this hour, Agent Booth" Said an un-familiar voice. "This is Sergent Dan Preston of the Delta County Sheriffs office in Escanaba, Michigan. I'm contacting you because you are listed at the FBI Agent in charge of the Temperance Brennan investigation?"

Booths heart skipped a beat. "Yes, sir."

"I'm calling to inform you that, we believe Dr. temperance Brennan has been found." said Sergent Preston.

Booth's heart was pounding so fast, he could feel it beating through his chest. He suddenly found it hard to breath. Somehow, he managed to pull himself together enough to speak. "Where... where was her body found?"

"Body? We didn't find a body, Agent Booth, I believe we have Dr. Brennan alive" said the Sergent.

"What? She's alive?" Booth could hardly believe what he was hearing.

"Yes, Agent Booth" replied Sergent Preston. "She has hospitalized at O.S.F. Saint Frances Hospital in Escananba, Michigan. She is in serious condition, with extensive injuries"

"What... what happened to her?" Booth asked.

"We are unsure of that, right now. Dr. Brennan is awake, but she won't speak to any of the officers nor will speak to any of the hospital staff." Sergent Preston explained.

"I'll catch the plane out of DC & be there asap" Booth told the Sergent.

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And, Booth did indeed catch the next plane out of DC. But, not before calling Angela & Cam to tell them that Bones had been found alive. Angela wanted so bad to be there, but a lot had changed since Brennan went missing. Angela & Hodgins had become a couple & were now expecting their first child in just 6 weeks. The pregnancy had been a hard one & Angela was put on bed rest just a week before. Her doctor told her, absolutely no flying!

Booth caught a flight into Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The weather was horrible, there was a blizzard headed into the area & all flights were canceled. Booth rented a car & made the remaining 5 hour drive to Escanaba. He had to admit, even with the winter storm brewing, the scenery was just breath taking. However, Booth wasn't here to go sight seeing. He drove as fast as he could, until finally, he made it into Escanaba. It was a fairly small town & he had no problem finding the hospital.

Booth practically run inside of the hospital. He found his way to the ICU *& approached the Nurses Station.

"Can I help you?" The older nurse lady asked.

"Yes ma'am," Booth said. "My name is Agent Seeley Booth with the FBI & I'm here to see a patient here. Dr. Temperance Brennan"

"I'm sorry Mr. Booth, I have strict orders that Ms. Brennan has no visitors unless Sergent Preston is here & approves" The nurse informed him.

"I'm her partner & I'm also her emergency contact. I've come a very long way. . . .NOW!" Booth said, firmly & a little louder than he intended.

The nurse looked on her chart. "Well, I suppose since you are her Emergency Contact & with the FBI" she said. "I will take you to her room, but I am also contacting Sergent Preston"

Booth nodded.

"Follow me" The nurse said, as she led Booth down the long & narrow hallway. "I will warn you, Agent Booth, she is in very serious condition. She has very extensive injuries & it to put it bluntly, it is no pretty sight. The girl has been through hell & back, the poor thing"

The nurse stopped outside of a door. "I will have her doctor come in shortly to speak with you"

"Okay" Booth said.

The nurse could tell that he was nervous. "Just remember, she's been through a lot, hun. She won't speak to anyone here, but she is awake"

"Thank you so much!" Booth said.

The nurse knocked on the door twice before opening it slowly. "Ms. Brennan, you have someone here to see you"

Booth swallowed the lump in his throat, his heart was racing. He just couldn't believe it! After over 3 years, he was finally going to see his Bones again. She was alive. His mind was also whirling, so many un-answered questions. He still had no idea what happened to his partner, he had no idea where she had been for the past 3 years, he had no idea what had happened to her. All he knew, was that she was here & she was alive. Right now, that's all he needed to know. Booth took a deep breath & stepped inside.

The room was dark, the drapes were all pulled down. Booth entered slowly & there, he saw her. He walked up to the bed. He could see that her eyes were open. She was staring blankly at the wall. She didn't move. She acted as though she didn't even know anyone was there. Slowly, he approached the bed. He sat down on the chair beside her. That's when he saw all the bruises. Both of her eyes were blackened. Scratches & bruises littered her face, he lip was swollen & split open in several places. Her jaw was swelled. Her arms were bruised & cut. Her wrists wore the scars of being bound & it was obviously she had fought hard to escape.

"Bones..." Booth whispered. Trying hard to fight the tears he could feel welling up.

Brennan didn't say a word, she didn't move, nothing. She just continued to stare blankly at the wall.

"Bones, can you hear me?" He asked, almost pleadingly. "It's me, Bones. It's Booth, I'm here. I'm here Bones & it's gonna' be alright"  
Still nothing.

"Bones... honey, it's me Booth" He spoke softly. "Please, please talk to me"

Still nothing.

Booth couldn't do it anymore, he couldn't hold it in. He broke down right then & there, putting his face in his hands. He couldn't stop the flood of emotions that hit him. Brennan looked so hurt, so broken... he couldn't imagine what she had been through, but it was obvious she'd been through Hell. Desperately, he needed to hear her voice... it had been over 3 years since she'd went missing. He never stopped looking, never gave up hope, now he had found her. He needed to hear her voice, he needed to convince himself that this was really real... that she was really here with him, alive. The silence was killing him. Even as her sobbed, she didn't say anything, didn't move, it was almost as though she didn't even know he was there.

**Knock. Knock.**

Booth jumped, startled by the sound & the door opening. He quickly tried to wipe the tears from his eyes.

"Mr. Booth?" It was a doctor.

"Yes" Booth replied.

"My name is Doctor Williams, I've been taking care of Ms. Brennan" The doctor introduced himself.

"I'm Dr. Brennan's partner" Booth said. "Can you tell me what happened to her?"

"Why don't we step outside" Dr. Williams said.

Booth took one long look at Bones, before following the doctor out of the room.

"Follow me" Dr. Williams said, as he led Booth to a small room down the hall & closed the door behind them.  
Dr. Williams sat down & Booth followed suite.

"What do you know so far about Ms. Brennan's condition?" Dr. Williams asked.

"Nothing at all" Booth replied. "I got a call from Sergent Preston early this morning, informing me that Dr. Brennan had been found & I caught the next plane here. He didn't explain anything over the phone"

"Ms. Brennan was brought in late last night. Her condition is serious, she has very extensive injuries" Dr. Williams started. "Right now, Dr. Brennan has a fractured arm, 6 fractured ribs, she also has old fractures in her arms, hands, fingers, & legs which have healed by themselves over time. She cuts & bruises over her entire body. There are deep cuts on her back, which appear to be the result of being struck with some type of object. There are also burns & scars from burns that have healed over, throughout her body. She is severely malnourished & dehydrated. We have her on IV Fluids to help get her fluid levels back up. So far, she has refused to eat or drink anything."

"Oh God..." Booth choked out.

"That's not all, I'm afraid," Dr. Williams said. "We did a rape kit & exam. There are signs of sexual abuse, over a long period of time. There are bruises & wounds. It appears that Ms. Brennan has been sexually assaulted, both physically & with an object. There are also signs that she has been assaulted anally."

Booth couldn't believe what he was hearing. Bones had been abused, far beyond anything he could have imagined. He felt sick, it was too much for him to take. He swallowed hard. It took everything he had not to break down right there, but he knew he couldn't do that. He had to be strong for Bones.

"I... I tried to talk to her" Booth started. "But, she didn't even act like she could hear me or even knew I was there"

"Well, given the extent of her abuse... this is rather common" Dr. Williams explained. "She's in shock, her mind has shut down, she's trying to block everything out. It's a survival technique. It will take time, but she will come around."

"Can she... can she hear me?" Booth asked.

"The mind is a complicated thing, Agent Booth" Dr. Williams said. "Right now, her mind is trying to block everything out. Just keep talking to her, hold her hand. It will take time, but she will respond. Ms. Brennan has a long, hard road ahead of her. She will need both physical & mental help, along the way. She also needs a strong support system. She cannot do this alone"

"She won't be alone" Booth said, firmly.

"Good" Dr. Williams said.  
"Do you know what happened to her?" Booth asked. "Where she was found?"

"I'm sorry, Agent Booth. I wasn't given that information" Dr. Williams replied.

"Can I go back in with her?" Booth asked.

"Of course" Dr. Williams said. "Follow me"

Booth entered Brennan's room. Her eyes were closed now & it was obvious that she was sleeping. He quietly sat down beside her bed, careful not to wake her. "God Bones, I'm sorry" he whispered.

Booth rested his head back against the wall, unable to take his eyes off his Bones. He still couldn't believe that she was here, alive, right in front of him. Everything Dr. Williams had said filled his mind. It made him sick to even think about someone hurting her like that. He needed to know what happened, who did they, was the person caught, where was she found? He needed answers, but all he could do now was be there with Bones & wait patiently for Sergent Preston to arrive at the hospital. It wasn't long at all, before Booth had drifted off to sleep... for the first time in a long time, he wasn't haunted by the nightmares that usually plagued his sleep.

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_Like it? Hate it? Please review! Thanks so much for reading!_


	4. Chapter 4

**_Author Note: Sorry for the long pause between updates! Life has happened & since I'm a busy mother of two small children, sometimes it's hard to find the time! So, I am very sorry! That said, I have not forgotten about this story! I hope everyone enjoys this chapter!_**

**_Thanks so much for the reviews!_**

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Booth was awaken by the sound of a nurse entering the room. He jumped up quickly, he couldn't believe he had actually fallen asleep.

"Sorry to wake you" The nurse said with a smile. "Just coming in to check Ms. Brennan. My name is Sarah"

"I'm Agent Booth" he said, quietly. "How is she?"

"Nothing has changed" Sarah answered. "Have you spoken with the doctor, yet?"

"Yes" Booth replied. "I'm waiting for Sergent Preston to arrive.

"I think I just saw him down the hall, talking with Dr. Williams. I think he will be in shortly" Sarah explained.

"Ok" Booth said.

His mind was filled with so many questions, but after hearing what Dr. Williams had said about Bones condition, he wasn't sure he really wanted to hear the answers to the questions filling his head. Yet, he NEEDED to know. Just as the nurse was leaving the room, Sergent Preston arrived.

"Agent Booth?" Sergent Preston said, as he entered.

Booth nodded & the Sergent reached to shake his hand.

"I'm Sergent Preston, we spoke on the phone"

"Yes" Booth said.

"Why don't we step out & we can go somewhere more private to talk" Sergent Preston said.

Booth nodded & exited the room, following right behind the Sergent, but not before taking a long look at Bones. After losing her for so long, leaving her alone for even a few moments, was enough to bother Booth. The two walked down the hallway, to the same small room where Dr. Williams had taken Booth to explain Brennen's condition. The two entered, Sergent Preston closed the door behind them, & they both sat down. Even though the short walk to the room had only taken a few moments, every moment seemed to drag on & on for Booth. All the questions that had been building in his mind for over 3 years, all the questions he needed to know the answers to & now, he was about to learn the truth... or at least some of it. It was like spending a lifetime, searching for one missing piece to a puzzle & finally, the piece had been found. Booth wasn't sure he wanted to here more information about what had happened to Bones, but he desperately NEEDED to know, not only for himself but also so that he could better help Bones get through this. He knew Bones & knew that, more than likely, she would try to push him away once she was recovering, she would try to be strong, try to do it on her own... but Booth knew that there was no way, she could possibly do it alone. He needed to know as much as possible, in order to be able to help her.

Booth took a big, deep breath. "So, where do we start?" he asked.

"You've already spoken to Dr. Williams regarding Dr. Brennen's condition, correct?" Sergent Preston asked.

"Yes" Booth replied. "He told me about her injuries, but nothing about what happened to her, where she was found, or how she was found?"

"She was found around 10:30PM last night. Fire & Rescue were dispatched to a cabin fire out in Cornell. It was far back in the woods. By the time crews arrived, the cabin was a complete loss. Crews searched the premises & they located Dr. Brennen in a cellar. She was bound to a bed with hand cuffs. That's when I was called in to investigate. Inside of the cabin, crews found a body. We've yet to identify the body, but it is believed to be Peter Carlson, the man who lived in the cabin." Sergent Preston explained.

Booth was confused. All this time, he had just known that Brennan's disappearance had something to do with the case they had been working at the time. But, the name Peter Carlson, didn't sound familiar. Booth was certain he had no connection to the case.

"This Peter Carlson, how did he know Dr. Brennan?"

"I'm not sure how they are connected" Sergent Preston replied.

"Did you do a background check?" Booth asked.

Sergent Preston nodded. "I did. I found that Peter Carlson was born & raised in Delta County, Michigan & in the Cornell area. He moved to the Chicago area with his wife for a few years, they seemed to be first class citizens. They even took in foster children until he & his wife divorced after 12 years or marriage & he moved back here, to his hometown"

_That was it!_ That's when it hit Booth, that's when he saw the connection & the sudden realization make him sick! "Did you say he lived in the Chicago area & he fostered kids?" Booth asked, just to confirm.

"Yes" Sergent Preston replied.

"Dr. Brennan was abandon by her parents & brother when she was just 15 years old, she was in the foster care system & she lived in the Chicago area" Booth said.

"You think that's where they are connected?" Sergent Preston asked.

"That must be it!" Booth said. "Dr. Brennan has always been affected by cases involving foster kids, I always thought there was something else to her becoming so emotional about it, but she has a lot of trust issue & she'd never talk to me about it"

"Ok, so am I following you... that you're thinking Peter Carlson was Dr. Brennan's foster parent, you think he abused her?" asked Sergent Preston.

"Then he come back..." Booth said, it was almost a whisper.

"Is there any way to confirm your theory. Agent Booth?" Preston asked.

"I'm not sure, foster care records are highly classified most of the time, but given that this is an active investigation, I may just be able to find out" Booth said.

"That answers a few questions, I couldn't figure out for the life of me... how a missing Scientist from DC wound up in Escanaba, Michigan" Sergent Preston said.

"When will you be able to confirm the identity of the body found in the fire?" Booth asked.

"The remains have been sent to a Lab in Marquette, Michigan & we will be waiting to get the results back from them" Sergent Preston explained.

"Please, let me know as soon as you know for sure" Booth said.

"You don't believe the body found was Peter Carlson?" Preston asked.

"It's not that... I just have to be SURE" Booth said. "For Dr. Brennan... I need to know for sure"

Sergent Preston nodded. "Understood"

"Thank you so much for finding her!" Booth said. He knew it was the Sergent's job, but still. Booth felt externally grateful to the man.

Sergent Preston just nodded. "Do you have any more questions for me, Agent Booth?" he asked.

"No" Booth replied. "But thank you, again"

"Ok, where will you be staying? So, I can contact you when I get the results back from the Lab in Marquette?" Sergent Preston asked.

"I'll be staying here, right here with Bones... I mean, Dr. Brennan" Booth explained.

"Ok, well... I will call you as soon as I get any information. If you learn anything, regarding your theory, please let me know" Sergent Preston said.

"Will do" Booth said.

With that, they shook & hands & parted ways. Booth returned to Brennan's room. Booth entered quietly. He found Bones in the same state he had left her, staring blankly at the walls. He sat down beside her. Gently, he took her small, cold hand in his own & squeezed it gently. He couldn't help but notice that she felt so frail. God, it killed Booth seeing her this way. He'd give anything to hear her voice again, he needed desperately to hear her voice, he needed to know that she'd be okay.

"Bones... it's me, Bones... it's Booth" He whispered. "I'm here Bones, I'm right here with you. You're safe, now. You're safe & I'm going to make sure no one ever hurts you again, Bones. You hear me? I'm gonna' be right here with you, Bones. I'm not gonna' leave, I'm gonna' stay right here by your side & we are gonna' get through this"

Booth was almost in tears, now. He was unsure if he was trying to convince Bones or himself more. The truth was, he was scared... he was scared to death that, his Bones would never come back, that he may never see his partner, his best friend... as she was, ever again. Booth didn't know exactly "what" had happened to Brennan, but he knew that she had been through hell & back. As Booth sat, next to Bones in the small, dark, quiet hospital room... he began to think. Booth thought about how stupid he had been. He was so pre-occupied with searching for a connection to the Conrad Dennis case... that he had completely overlooked the possibility of Brennan's disappearance somehow being connected to her past. If only he had looked, maybe he would have found something, maybe he would have found Bones sooner, maybe she wouldn't have been held captive for over 3 years... if he'd only taken the time to look. But, he didn't. Booth had followed his gut & in this case, it was dead wrong. He felt as though he had failed Bones. He always promised that he would always be there for her, always protect her. He'd made a silent promise to himself, years earlier, that he would always find her whenever she got into trouble. He would always save her. Up until this, he had kept that promise... but this time, this time he had let her down. Tears began to rolls down Booth's face & this time, this time he didn't even try to hide them. He just lay his head down on the edge of Bones hospital bed, pressing it gently against her hand, which he was still holding.

"God Bones, I'm... I - I'm sorry... so sorry!" Booth sobbed. "I should've stayed with you that night... s-should have looked harder. I'm so sorry this happened to you... I - I let you get hurt & I will never forgive myself for that!" Booth broke down then, unable to say anything more.

It took a few moments, for him to recompose himself. "Listen to me, Bones" Booth said, his voice cracking with every word. "Please, please be okay... I need you, Bones! I've missed you, so much! Please come back to me, Bones... please" Booth broke down again, unable to control the sobs that had overtaken his body. Suddenly, he felt a gentle squeeze to his hand...

"Bones?" Booth asked, almost pleadingly. "Bones, honey it's ok... it's me, it's Booth. I'm here & you're safe now" Slowly, Bones started to stir... she started to move. Booth jumped up, opened the door, & shouted. "Nurse! We need a doctor! She's waking up!" he yelled.

Then, Booth returned to Bone's beside & suddenly... her eyes fluttered open!

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TBC! Please read & review! Thanks so much!


	5. Chapter 5

**_A/N: Thanks to everyone who is still reading this story! I hope ya'll like it! Please let me know what ya' think! _**

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_"Bones?" Booth asked, almost pleadingly. "Bones, honey it's ok... it's me, it's Booth. I'm here & you're safe now" Slowly, Bones started to stir... she started to move. Booth jumped up, opened the door, & shouted. "Nurse! We need a doctor! She's waking up!" he yelled._

_Then, Booth returned to Bone's beside & suddenly... her eyes fluttered open!_

It wasn't like what Booth had imagined, when Brennen woke up! Her eyes were filled with fear... & something else, something that Booth just couldn't pick out! It all happened so fast! Before anyone had time to react, Brennen's "fight or flight" response kicked in & she lunged out of bed, not realizing the extent of her injuries! As soon as her body connected with the floor, she was in intense pain! Her entire body was shaking, the water works started to flow. She was sobbing, not even trying to hide her tears.

"Bones!" Booth exclaimed!

He rushed to her side & tried to wrap his strong arms around her, but a loud - blood curdling scream stopped him in his tracks.

"Bones..." Booth whispered. "It's me, sweet heart. It's Booth. You're safe now, you're in the hospital."

Booths words seemed to do nothing to calm Brennen, it was almost as though she couldn't even hear him. Her eyes were filled with fear, tears, & yet they were so distant. It killed Booth to see her like this.

"Please... please leave me alone!" Bones sobbed. "Please... I... I've been good, please don't... don't hurt me anymore... please!"

Booth's already broken heart shattered into a million pieces. His mind was flooded with what Dr. Williams had said, the extreme extent of the abuse she had been put through.

"Bones... it's Booth, honey" Booth whispered, as he felt hot tears start to sting his eyes. "I'm me, I'd NEVER hurt you... Bones, NEVER!"

"Please, please leave me alone... please don't say you're Booth anymore!" Brennen begged, through her sobs! "Booth would never do this to me! He'd never hurt me like this!"

Tears were now flowing freely from Booth's eyes. He couldn't believe what he'd just heard. Had that sick bastard actually said he was Booth while he was hurting her? Slowly, Booth knelt down on the floor & moved closer.

"No, Bones... I AM Booth." Booth said, almost pleadingly. "It's me, Bones! It's really me! You're safe now, you're in the hospital & you're safe. Everything that's happened to you... it IS over now. Bones, I promise... it's over. I'd never lie to you, Bones. It's really me."

Suddenly, Brennen's eyes seemed to soften. She started to sob even harder. "B-Booth?" She cried.

Booth forced himself to smile. "Yeah Bones, it's me... it's Booth. You're safe, now."

Bones buried her face in her hands, as she cried... sobs raked through her entire body. She was shaking uncontrollably. Booth moved closer, slowly he reached out to her & took her small, frail hand in his. He squeezed it gently & she just cried even harder. When Brennen didn't pull away, he moved even closer until he was sitting on the floor right next to her. He pulled her fragile frame carefully into his strong embrace & wrapped his arms gently around her. Booth held Bones tightly, as though he were afraid that she would vanish at any time. He buried his face in her hair & softly planted a kiss on her head. Bones was still sobbing, her body was still shaking.

"Shh, Bones." Booth soothed softly. "It's alright, you're safe! I'm here, I'm right here & you're gonna' be alright. I'm right here & will WILL get through this, Bones."

The two remained in that position for a few brief moments, suddenly Brennen's head jolted up, as if someone had just shot her! Booth looked into her eyes & they were filled with fear... no, not fear. For "fear" was too small of a word to express the look... "terror" was more correct, pure terror!

"Peter... he's going to kill me... he always said..." Brennen's started, but her voice cracked & a small sob escaped before she was able to finish.

"Shh, It's alright Bones," Booth soothed.

"No, it's not alright... he said he'd find me if ever I escaped!" Brennen's body was shaking so bad now, that even her lips were trembling.

Booth took a deep breath, he knew that he HAD to be strong for Bones... but it was so damn hard to do! Seeing her, like this, just killed him. It was as though his heart was being ripped out & torn to pieces time & again!

"Listen to me, Bones!" Booth said, as he finally found his composure. He raised his voice slightly more than he intended, though & he cursed himself silently, as he seen her jump & wince. He swallowed hard & continued. "Peter is NEVER going to touch you again! Not ever! Don't you remember what happened last night?"

Brennen shook her had in response.

"You don't remember the fire?" Booth asked.

"No" Brennen whispered.

"There was a fire, it's still being investigated... but there was a body recovered," Booth explained, slowly.

Brennen raised her small, fragile hand to her mouth. "You... you mean? Peter?" She asked, almost pleadingly.

"They believe so, but the remains have been sent to a lab in Marquette, Michigan for identification," Booth answered.

Just then, Dr. Williams & two nurses come running into the room. The look of fear, immediately returned to Brennen's face with a vengeance. Booth could see that she was frightened. He got up off the floor & stopped Dr. Williams from getting to close to Bones.

"Dr. Williams, can we please just have a few more moments alone?" Booth started. "I don't want all this to scare her,"

"I'm sorry, Agent Booth... but I MUST assess the patient & we MUST get her up off of the floor due to her injuries," Dr. Williams replied, he seemed a little angry that Booth would even suggest such a thing.

Booth looked back down at Brennen, she was already sliding back into the corner of the room behind the monitors. She had the same, terrified & distant gaze that she had when she first awoke.

"Please... please don't" Brennen cried. "Please, stay away from me... don't hurt me,"

Dr. Williams motioned for his nurses & walked towards Brennen, she started to breath rapidly, she was sobbing, her body was shaking, & she began to thrash around... pulling the Monitors & IV Lines from her body. Booth was becoming very angry.

"Just back off! Give her a minute!" Booth said, a little more sharply than he intended. "Can't you see, you're scaring her!"

Dr. Williams turned around, facing Booth. "I'm a trained professional, Agent Booth. I KNOW what I'm doing & I think it's best you leave while we restrain the patient & get her back into bed,"

"Hell no!" Booth shouted. "I will NOT leave her, she needs me! YOU need to back off!"

Dr. Williams whispered something to one of his nurses & with that, she quickly exited the room. "Get the sedation ready," He told the other nurse.

"No, you will NOT sedate her!" Booth shouted, becoming even more angry now. "She's my partner, I know her like no one else... what she needs if a few moments for me to talk her through this! She does not need to be sedated!"

Before Dr. Williams could even respond, the nurse returned to the room with two leave large security guards. Booth didn't even see them coming, until he was grabbed from behind.

"Come on, you need to leave," Said one of the guards.

"Get your fucking hands off of me!" Booth shouted. "I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth with the FBI,"

"Right now, I don't care if you're _FBI or the President of The United States_. You _are_ trying to prevent a doctor in _our_ hospital from accessing his patient. We care do this the easy way or the hard way, but you _ARE_ leaving this room," The other guard stated, flatly.

Booth struggled against the guards, but he was overpowered & they escorted him from the room. They brought him into the Waiting Room of the Hospital.

"You son of a bitch, let me see my partner... she needs me!" Booth shouted.

"Mr. Booth, either you stop shouting & making a scene in this hospital or else I will be forced to have you removed from the building," Said the guard.

Booth stopped, he was angry beyond words... but he knew that saying any more would be pushing his luck. If he were in DC, there would be no way in hell that anyone could do something like this to him, but right now... he was out of his zone & he knew that he would be kicked out of the hospital.

"Look, for what it's worth... I know you're upset, man," The guard started. "I can see you care about her, but she needs to be checked out by the doctor. He's a good man, he knows what he's doing. I know it's hard for you to see now, man. But, he will get her sedated & checked out. Then, he will come out here & bring you. I'm sorry, man. Just how it has to be,"

Booth just nodded & sat down in one of the chairs. There were so many emotions rushing through his body: Anger, Hurt, Sadness, Regret, & just plain Helpless. After everything _his _Bones had already been through, after all the time he'd spent searching for her, all the time spent blaming himself. Now, he finally had her back... only to have her taken away again & there was absolutely _nothing_ he could do, but sit there in the waiting room helplessly & wait. It was killing him... yet, Booth was forced to do all her could do... sit there & wait.

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**TBC.**

**_Like it, hate it? Please if you read, please review... even if it isn't good. I appreciate all feedback! Thanks so much everyone!_**


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